Inking mechanism for printing machines



July 21, 1936.

H. V. BALL INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 21, 1936. H v, BA L 2,048,366

INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR July 21, 1936. H. v. BALL INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Q U-L INVENTOR. y flQA -L M Patented July 21, 1936 INKING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING MACHINES I Harry V. Ball, deceased, late of Bedford, Mass., by Lillian 0. Ball, administratrix, Bedford, Mass, assignor, by mesne assignmentato It. Hoe & Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation ofNewYork 1 Application February 6, 1935, SerialNo; 5,179

5 Claims. 01. 101 -352) ure 5.

This invention in general relates to printing machines and more particularly to inking mechanism therefor, having for its object the provision of a novel improved'micrometer form roller set- 1 ting gauge or indicating means, particularly designed and adapted topermit an accurate positioningof each form roller relatively to the adjacent form and ink distributing cylinders, while indicating the diameter of the roller in immediate use; i V

It is also an object of the invention to provide a micrometer gauge and adjusting'means for a form roller 'of genera ly improved construction, whereby the device will be simple, durable and inexpensive in construction; as well as convenient, practical. serviceable and efi'icient'in its use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts, and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

. The preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: t

Figure 1 is a fragmentary diagrammatic representationof a printing machine, showing an arrangement of inking mechanism for which the invention is suited;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device, certain portions of the printing machine being shown fragmentarily;

Figure 3is a fragmental top 'plan View of the arrangement partly in section, as seen in the direction of the arrow 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmental front elevational View as seen in the direction of the arrow 4 of Figure 2; a

Fi ure 5 is a view similar to Figure 2 of a modified form of the invention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmental front elevational View as seen in the direction of the arrow 6 of Fig- Referring now to the drawings, I2 designates the frame of a printing machine whereon the form and ink distributing cylinders I3, l4 respectively are rotatably supported. Form rolling rotatably mounted in a roller socket or member I! having a slot l8 adapted to receive a stud 1 l9 protruded through the said slot and arranged in the frame H2. The socket member ll isheld 'in position by thefstud I!) which in turn is held in position on the' frame by nuts 2!, 22. The said member, I 11s provided at its inner end with a slot or opening 23 which slidably receives a second stud 24 also fastened to the frame,'the member I1 also beingformed with a'widened portion or head 25, .to which a cap 26 is'hingedly' connected at;2'|. Thecap and head form in conjunction a socket whichreceives a split bushing 29'wherein the shaft or journal 3| of the form roller |51is rotatably supported. The cap 26 is provided witha groove '32,- receiving the stem of a link 33 hinged tothehead'25 and adaptedto receive a wing nut 34-which serves to'retain the cap against the head Iwhen the shaft of the roller is operatively supported-in the socket. The cap 26 is furtheruprovided with a'handle 35 to manipulate same. 7 I

In'order to adjust the socket member I! in horizontal andvertical planes'and' relatively to the coactingform and ink distributing cylinders, a pair of adjusting scr ews'ormemb'ers 36, '31 are provided." The adiustingscrew 36 which has an operating head 36" of hexagonal configuration whose facetsare providedwithnumbers as in dicated, the purpose of which willbe set forth hereinafter, is threaded 'transversely through the stem of'the stud l9 and is rotatably'supported in apoppet 39'fastened to the frame, the said adjusting screw 36 being normally held against axial movement relatively to the poppet 39 by a collar 4!! fastened to the sternof the screw, and by the said hexagonal head, both collar and head abutting oppos'ite sides of the poppet 39. The other adjusting screw 31, which also has a hexagonal head 31' provided with facet' having numbers,

is arranged in a plat/e42 fastened by screws 43 to the frame [2 "and has a locknut Ml arranged on the stem thereof and normally'engjaged against the plate 42. 'It' wilL'ofcourse, be understood that the other 'form ro ler l5 shown, may be ad- 'justed by means not shown) similar to those employed for the adjustment of the roller It. The upper end of the adjusting screw 31 is threadedly engaged in a member or plate 45 which is secured to the socket member I! by screws 46; Removably fastened to the frame [2 by screws 41, is a laterally extending and normally fixed bracket 48, provided with a' scale 49 and having its upper edge in register with a line'passing through the axis of the adjusting member 36, said scale 49 serving as a means for indicating the size or diameter of the form roller actually'being used, while the numbers on the head of the adjusting member or screw 3fserve to convenientlyand approximately indicate the extent, of thetfflats created on those portions of the roller I5 which the roller may be adjusted vertically in order to centrally position same in the space adjacent the coacting cylinders l3, I4. It will be noted that both of the operating heads are provided with pockets to accommodate suitable operating tools.

The upper edge of the bracket 48 which has a finger or projecting portion 86 is adapted, at

' its extremity, to register with a suitable mark which, for example, may be a pin 8| arranged on the cap 26, so that when the finger 80 is over or immediately adjacent to the said pin, and the upper edge of the horizontally positioned bracket substantially in register with the'axis of the mem-' ber'36, asmentioned above, then the roller l5, when of the size or diameter shown in Figure 2; will be centered between and juxtaposed against the respective peripheries of the cylinders l2 and I3. 'As indicated above, vvthe adjusting member 36 is employed for horizontal or bodily adjust ments of the roller l 5., and the adjusting member 31 for vertical adjustments of the same. In the above form of theiinvention, it will be observed that when it is desired to adjust the form roller l5 towards or away from the coacting cylinders I 3 and I4, the nut 2| will first be loosened after which the adjusting screw 36 will be turned by meansof a suitable tool, thereby'bodily moving in a horizontal plane the bracket H and consequently the form roller 16 carried thereby. As the said form roller moves in a horizontal plane towards and away from the adjacent cylinders, as illustrated in Figure 2, the scale '49 on the bracket 48, as the outermost point of the peri-phery of the said form roller moves over or relatively to the :said scale, will,-in addition to giving an accurate indication of the size of the roller actually in use, indicate the exact degree of adjustment or extent of movement of the roller towards and away from the cylinders 13 and I4.

Referring to the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, 50 designates a form roller which is rotatably supported in a bushing indicated generally at 51, arranged in a socket 52 which may be of the general character of the one described above, the said socket 52 having a head portion 53 to which is hingedly connected a cap 56, lockably secured to the head 53 by a wing nut 55, threadedly engaged on a stem 56 hingedly connected to the said head. The socket 52 which rotatably supports the form roller 56, is adjustable ina horizontal plane relatively to the adjacent form and ink distributing cylinders (not shown), by an-adjusting screw 51, rotatably supported in a poppet 58 fastened to the frame I l of the machine and having a collar'51' and an operatinghead 59, each of which latter abut against opposite sides of the poppet 58, thus preventing axial movement of the said adjusting screw.- The head 59 of the adjusting screw 51,- which has numbered facets as in the form shown in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, "is similarly provided with pockets for thereception of a suitable operating tool. Vertical-"adjustments of the form roller 50 are obtained by an adjusting screw 6|, of the same type as adjusting screw 31.

- In order to operate a micrometer gauge fastened to the frame l2 and hereinafter described,

an L-shaped member 62 secured to the socket 52 is provided, the said member receiving a collar 63 which is held in place on the member 62 by a set screw 63. The said collar 63 is provided with an extension or member 6 6, engaged by a 5 finger 65 which in turn is carried on a shaft 66 mounted in poppets 61, 68 secured to the frame l2. The shaft 66 is preferably biased by a spring 69 arranged thereon, one end of the spring being anchored to a collar 16 fastened to the shaft :66, the other end of the spring being fastened to the poppet 68. At the outer end of the shaft 66 an indicating arm or needle H is fastened, the extremity of the said arm being adapted to move over a calibrated scale 12 provided on a 15 plate 13 fastened to the frame 12.

The operation of the modified form of the invention'shown in Figures 5 and 6 is similar to the other form of the invention, it being observed that the comparatively long indicating arm H, 20 in passing over the scale 12, will show in amplified form the extent of adjustments made. The spring 69 on the shaft 66 whereon the indicating arm H is fastened, will tend to bias the said shaft so as to prevent undue looseness or lost 25 motion in the elements connected thereto, the spring also serving to normally return the indicating arm to the zero position of the scale.

It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the presentembodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had'to the claims rather than to the foregoing description to'indicat'e the scope of the invention.

' What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a form cylinder and an ink distributing cylinder rotatably supported on the frame, a socket horizontally and vertically adjustable relatively to the said cylinders, a form roller rotatably supported by the socket, and indicating means connected to said socket whereby the diameter of rolls of various sizes may be asertained and their operative positioning relatively to the said cylinder accurately determined.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a form cylinder and an ink distributing cylinder rotatably supported on the frame, a socket horizontally and vertically adjustable relatively to the said cylinders, a form roller rotatably supported by the socket, indicating means for denoting the relative diameters of rollers of different size when inserted in said socket, and other means for denoting the degree of flats produced on said roller when engaged with said cylinders.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a form cylinder and an ink distributing cylinder rotatably supported on the frame, a socket horizontally and vertically adjustable relatively to the said cylinders, a form roller rotatably supported by the socket, a scale secured to the frame and other means arranged on a portion of said socket for coaction with said scale to indicate the relative diameters of various rolls when inserted in said socket and for denoting the accurate centering of the roller relatively to the said cylinders.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a form cylinder and an ink distributing cylinder rotatably supported on the frame, a socket horizontally and vertically adjustable relatively to the said cylinders, a form 75 roller rotatably supported by the socket, indicating means and a marker for denoting various sizes of rollers and the correct positioning of same relatively to said cylinders, means for adjusting said socket in at least two different planes and for indicating the degree of flats produced on said roller when engaged with the cylinders.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a form cylinder and an 10 ink distributing cylinder rotatably supported on the frame, a socket horizontally and vertically adjustable relatively to the said cylinders, a

form roller rotatably supported on the socket, 1

and indicating means on the socket and the frame, whereby adjustment of the socket whether in a horizontal or vertical plane will be denoted by the said indicating means.

LILLIAN 0. BALL, Administratria: of the Estate of Harry V. Ball,

Deceased. 

